WAEA2019
Visual journalism exists as a relatively new course in the Shorewood High School curriculum. Currently in its fourth semester, the class asks students, in the first half of the semester, to quickly come to terms with some basic principles of journalism as well as some key skills in graphic design. The idea is for students, over the course of the semester, to apply these techniques to a story telling project of their own design and to present that project to the community.
News writing and layout and design
Early in the semester, the students acquire the particular skill set that forms the foundation for much of what comes after. Namely, news writing and print design.
Shorewood narrated photo slideshow
Part way through the first quarter, after learning some of the basics of photocomposition, and after refining some of their audio collection and editing skills, students were asked to depict their vision of Shorewood in a narrated photo slideshow. For the first time, bringing words and images together.
Alemitu’s Shorewood Slideshow
Tessa’s Shorewood Slideshow
Personal Audio Profile
Like the narrated photo slideshow below, the illustrated personal audio profile is a relatively early attempt to combine images and words. Here the emphasis is on audio production and digital illustration
Kara R.
Deanne Phillips moved to Milwaukee from her home in New York to found First Stage Milwaukee, a theatre company for children. First Stage is centered around children’s acting pursuits, however union actors are paid to teach. Deanne is a union actress herself, and worked in New York as an actress prior to moving to Milwaukee. As a child, she worked both in live theatre and on film, jumpstarting her lifelong interest in theater, music and teaching. When she was living in New York, she received a call from her father that a local theatre company was looking for a young actress to found the company and teach. At the age of 26, she moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to pursue a career teaching theatre.
10 fingers video assignment
Sarah’s 10 fingers project
Anna, Elizabeth, Morgan, and Tessa’s 10 fingers project
On a field trip to the Charles Allis Art Museum, students get their hands on a documentary video project. This project continues the slow merging of words and images—still images and moving images. It incorporates more of the journalistic skills introduced earlier in the semester. And it exposes students to yet another set of skills: those involved in video production.
As we approach the capstone project, students hone their skills and come to understand where their individual talents lie. They also begin to interact with the community a bit more, engage with classmates differently, and think about what it means to tell the story of a place, a person or an event. As they exit the skill building portion of the semester, the capstone project is born.